"Perhaps no custom reveals our character as a Nation so clearly as our celebration of Thanksgiving Day. Rooted deeply in our Judeo-Christian heritage, the practice of offering thanksgiving underscores our unshakable belief in God as the foundation of our Nation and our firm reliance upon Him from Whom all blessings flow." President Ronald Reagan, Thanksgiving Day, 1986
November 27, 2013
By: Linda Case Gibbons
Washington did it. So did Abraham Lincoln.
But Barack Obama didn't and he didn't do it four years in a row.
Mention God in his Thanksgiving Proclamation.
I like what Washington and Lincoln did. It made me feel good.
Washington delivered his Proclamation on October 6, 1789.
It was the year he was inaugurated as president. It was a year after the Constitution of the United States was ratified by the states, the document that put the power in the hands of the people, set up a system of checks and balances to ensure no one branch has too much power and defines the scope and limit of government power.
And it was six years after the end of the Revolutionary War.
Washington was chosen to lead his country through difficult times. He was faced with an overwhelming task, but led courageously, albeit with a heavy heart, mindful of the honor and the burden of what he had been entrusted to do.
During the War and after a singularly exceptional government of the people, by the people and for the people had been created, Washington remained aware that all of this had not been done by men alone.
America was meant to be.
He knew that because he had seen his brave, ragged, hungry and barefoot soldiers fighting on and he knew it was something spiritual that drove them on to combat tyranny and win freedom.
He had himself turned to God to strengthen his flagging spirits and bolster his resolve. But through it all, whatever the outcome would be, he continued to provide leadership.
It was his allegiance to a strong and determined people, the people who had decided to say "No more" to taxation without representation and "No more" to tyranny.
Washington was loved and respected by his countrymen. They wanted to bestow the highest honor they could upon him, to make him king, but Washington flatly refused. He reminded them that this is what they had fought to free themselves from.That henceforth the people would be able to vote freely to choose their leader.
And in all of this, he sensed the presence of God's hand.
Washington said he spoke on behalf of both Houses of Congress who requested that he, "Recommend a day of public thanskgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness."
Lincoln delivered his Proclamation on October 3, 1863. It was in the midst of a war that tore at his spirit with despair. The Civil War.
It was the year he issued his Emancipation Proclamation and the year the Battle of Gettysburg was fought. It was two years before he would be assassinated, on Good Friday, because of the controversial stand he took while serving as president.
But even in the midst of these daunting events, Lincoln was able to raise his eyes heavenward and recognize that the "ever watchful providence of Almighty God was there," bestowing bounty on an exceptional country.
Both men were humbled before the tasks they were given to complete during their lifetimes. And both seemed mindful that they were building on those who had come before them.
In their mind's eye they doubtlessly were looking back and seeing what the Pilgrims saw when they landed in Cape Cod in November of 1620.
A desolate, windy landscape faced them. No place to seek comfort and shelter. Dwindling supplies.
The "foulness" of winter affected everyone, Gov. Bradford wrote in his diary, recounting how many became sick and died as a result of the cold weather and inadequate housing.
But they were made of sturdy stock and they survived. They had come to the New World to secure religious freedom and they accomplished that for all of us, so that America has come to stand for freedom of religion for all.
We are a country founded on a Judeo-Christian philosophy. That's who we are and we need never apologize to anyone for it.
There are people who are frightened of the power that He wields. Kings and heads of state have tried throughout history to banish Him, but men of resolve have not allowed that to happen, often fighting against tremendous odds, like our forefathers. But never giving up our God.
But don't worry. God's a tough cookie. Whatever you call Him, in the context of whatever religion you practice, He is there for anyone who lives in this great country. He's used to being excluded. Even one of his archangels tried to unseat Him.
But he is still here. Especially on this blessed Thanksgiving Day.
So as you look around at the faces at your dinner table today, realize this is not just another dinner. It is a commemoration of all those people who have gone before us, doing God's work, building this wonderful country so you and I can sit down to dinner.
Don't forget to give thanks. Be grateful that there is an America.
There are other presidents who have made their own Thanksgiving Day Proclamations. We've included them for your enjoyment.
Hold the line, America.
"Almighty God, who has given us this good land for our heritage; We humbly beseech Thee that we may always prove ourselves a people mindful of Thy favor and glad to do Thy Will." President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Nov. 9, 1940
"As the harvest season draws to a close and our storehouses bulge with the bounty of the land, it is our desire to observe, in the custom and tradition of our forebears, a special day dedicated to giving thanks to God -- a day on which in lay aside our daily tasks and cares and pay joyous homage to Him." President Lyndon B. Johnson, Nov. 13, 1964
"And for our heritage -- a land rich with the bountiful blessings of God, and the freedom to enjoy those rich blessings -- we give thanks for God Almighty in this time, and for all time." President Richard Nixon, Nov. 25, 1971
"Sharing in God's blessings is at the heart of Thanksgiving and at the core of the American spirit." President Bill Clinton, Nov. 17, 2000
"All across America, we gather this week with the people we love to give thanks to God for the blessings in our lives." President George W. Bush, Nov. 23, 2004